(1) Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to the field of hydro-electric generator systems. This field includes systems for better utilizing water currents for producing electricity. More particularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to a hydro-electric generator system having an improved design for collecting and concentrating water current, for feeding to turbines having improved designs for harnessing the force of the water current and converting that force for producing electricity.
(2) Background of Invention
Water current is one source of abundant and consistent force that is not being fully utilized to generate electricity. Currents are found in waterways and bodies of water around the world. One example close to the United States is the Gulf Stream off the east coast. Other currents (flowing water) also present themselves in tidal basins and numerous fresh water systems. Additionally there is the outflow current from existing dam systems.
The apparatus that is described herein provides a means to utilize these forces, great or small. The apparatus described herein is scalable as well; it can be made in the size suitable to take full advantage of the force of the current it is deployed in. The environmental conditions can be the main determiner of the size of device needed for utilizing the force of a current.
The apparatus disclosed herein provides a means to use several of the properties of water. Water is a true “fluid”, not compressible. Water is also approximately 8 times as dense as air; a two mile per hour current can approximate the force of a one hundred mile per hour wind.
Traditionally, paddle wheel arrangements have been prevalent, with the turbine blades having their longest edge and face perpendicular to the water flow; but when submerged, such turbine blades lose efficiency, because the travel circuit of the blades causes the blades to move upstream, against the current, almost half of the time. The structure supporting such turbines often impedes water flow as well. There are also designs of turbines using blades configured as propellers. However, the propeller blade designs are typically based upon aerodynamics, not hydrodynamics. Such blades interact sparingly with the water force, and do not provide a means to take full advantage of the properties of water. Since both types of prior art are also typically in an open rather than closed (or confined) system, they also allow the water mass creating the force to escape without amplifying its force.
The following are arguably material to patentability of the invention disclosed herein.
U.S. patent/application Date of Patent/Ser. No.1st Named InventorPublication6,223,532Angel Brassea-FloresMay 1, 20018,801,359Gordon David SherrerAug. 12, 201420060169322John E. TorkelsonAug. 3, 20064,622,471Warren C. SchroederNov. 11, 19864,172,689Ivar ThorsheimOct. 30, 1979
U.S. Pat. No. 8,801,359 issued to Sherrer discloses a system for extracting power from fluid (including river and ocean currents) using a bladeless disc turbine. This patent discloses a plurality of funnel-shaped fluid receiving inlets, collecting water current and increasing its velocity before delivery at “advantageous attack angles” to disc turbines spaced upon a common axle. (See FIGS. 1, 4 and 15.) This patent does not expressly disclose an upstream funnel defining a constricting conduit channeling water into a throat-valve including stationary pivot-gates enhancing the vortical movement of the water through a further constricting conduit feeding the water to the blades of a turbine rotating around a horizontal axle positioned parallel to the flow of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,689 issued to Thorsheim discloses a wave power generator having a plurality of side-by-side open funnels (with square or rectangular cross-sections) concentrating water flow en route to a shared manifold feeding the fast-moving fluid to a paddle-wheel turbine generator. (Best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,471 issued to Schroeder discloses an ocean wave hydro-electric generator facility for converting an entire ocean wave (at its peak kinetic force) to a continuous “river flow” penstock (conduit) and race (current) feeding the turbine. This patent discloses “upstream” horizontally-hinged intake gates adapted to permit the incoming waves to slide over the top of the downwardly pivoting gates and into the penstock, where it is fed in a continuous flow to a hydro-electric generator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,532 issued to Brassea-Flores discloses hydro-electric turbines rotated by fluid in motion. One embodiment involves the injection of pressurized gas into a hollow axle carrying a funnel-shaped member having outlets for releasing the gas; when the turbine is submersed, the released gas causes the turbine to rotate on the axle to generate energy.
None of these references expressly discloses a hydro-electric generator system comprising an upstream funnel housing orientable in the same direction as water current and defining a constricting horizontal lumen, a throat including a throat-valve, and a turbine having a plurality of blades rotatable around an axis along the same direction as water current, the funnel initiating vortical movement of water into the throat-valve which, when in an open configuration, enhances the vortical movement of water to the blades for rotational force.